Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Introduction

The earliest of the six Bach motets is probably the five-part setting of Jesu, meine Freude, written, it has been suggested, for the funeral service of the wife of the Leipzig postmaster, Johanna Maria Kees, on 18 July 1723. It is also by far the longest and the most complex in its layout. It uses the popular chorale by the poet Johann Franck and the composer Johann Crüger, first published in 1653, but with free passages, added between the six verses, setting words from Romans 8, verses 1, 2, 9, 10 and 11. The result is an ingenious symmetrical structure, typical of the mature Bach. The eleven movements are of three types: settings of the choral tune and text (Nos 1, 3, 7, 11), free settings of the chorale text (Nos 5 and 9), and settings of the added text (Nos 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10). They are grouped around the fugue No 6; Nos 1 and 11 use the same music; Nos 2 and 10 have material in common; and Nos 3–5, a chorale, a trio and a free aria-like movement, have their counterparts in Nos 7–9.

Recordings

Bach’s six motets are among the greatest achievements of choral polyphony in the baroque period. This early recording by The Sixteen and Harry Christophers is a jewel in Hyperion’s catalogue, containing performances of utter joy, rendered in sonic ...» More

Jesus, my joy,
My heart’s delight,
Jesus, my treasure,
Ah how long, ah how long
Must my heart be anxious
And full of longing for you!
Lamb of God, my bridegroom
Besides you there is in on earth
Nothing else that is dearer to me.

There is now no condemnation in them
who are in Christ, and who walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the spirit.

Beneath your protection
I am free from the raging
Of all enemies.
Let the devil sniff around,
Let my enemy become incensed,
Jesus stands by me.
Even though thunder crashes and lightning blazes,
Even though sin and hell terrify:
Jesus will protect me.

For the law of the spirit, which makes me living
in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of
sin and death.

I defy the ancient dragon,
I defy the jaws of death,
I defy the fear they cause!
Rage, World, and leap upon me,
I stand here and sing
In the calm of certainty.
God’s power takes care of me;
Earth and Hell’s abyss must fall silent,
However much they roar.

But you are not of the flesh, but of the spirit,
And so God’s spirit dwells in you in a different way.
But whoever does not have Christ’s spirit is not his.

Away with all treasures!
You are my delight,
Jesus, my desire!
Away with all vain honours,
I don’t want to hear of you,
Remain unknown to me!
Suffering, distress, the cross, shame and death,
However much I have to suffer,
Will never separate me from Jesus.

If Christ is in you, then the body is dead
because of sin, but the spirit is life
because of righteousness.

Good night, o [earthly] existence,
What the world has to offer,
Does not please me at all.
Good night, you sins,
Stay far away from here,
Come no more to the light!
Good night, arrogance and splendour!
To everything about you, sinful existence,
I bid goodnight.

Now the spirit that has raised Jesus
from the dead, dwells in you,
the very same spirit that has raised
Jesus from the dead,
gives life to your mortal bodies,
so that his spirit may dwell in you.

Vanish, spirits of gloom,
For my joyful master,
Jesus, enters in.
For those who love God,
Even their grief
Must become pure delight.
Here I may have scorn and derision,
But even in the midst of suffering you remain,
Jesus, my joy.

Protected by thee,
I am free from the raging
of all enemies.
Let Satan thunder,
let the fiend threaten,
Jesus is my aid.
Even though thunder and lightning rage,
even though sin and hell terrify me;
Jesus will protect me.

Defy the old dragon,
defy the jaws of death,
defy fear as well!
Rage, O world, and quake,
here I stand, singing
in perfect peace.
The might of God protects me;
earth and abyss shall be silent,
however much they roar.

Away with all earthly treasure,
thou art my delight,
Jesu, my joy!
Away, vainglories,
I will not listen to you,
I want none of you!
Grief, distress, cross, shame and death,
however much I suffer,
shall not part me from Jesus.

Goodnight, O being,
which has chosen the world,
you do not please me.
Goodnight, sins,
stay far behind me,
do not rise into the light!
Goodnight, pride and vain glory!
And to you, life of iniquity,
a special goodnight.

Give way, you spirits of sadness,
for the King of joy,
Jesus, is entering in.
Those who love God
must accept even their sadness
as pure delight.
Though I suffer mockery and derision here,
yet even in my grief shall thou,
Jesu, remain my joy.